Entertainment | Elēkrŏn to close in July

Studio City Macau’s entertainment show Elēkrŏn will halt its operations on July 21 – six months after its debut, the Times has learned.

Dubbed as the “world’s first all-electric indoor theatrical stunt show,” an insider said that the announcement was made to the employees of the show last month.

The employee believed that the closure was due to “not many sales” and that the “predicted income was not met.”

“It was announced [to us] on April 26. They called for a full meeting where they announced [the closure],” said the employee, who requested anonymity.

Reports of the show’s closure was confirmed by others familiar with the matter, who also asked not to be identified.

The Times contacted Studio City operator Melco Resorts & Entertainment for comment, but no reply was received by press time.

On the operator’s website, tickets for the show are unavailable for purchase after July 21.

The 75-minute show made its debut in January. A collaboration with  entertainment company Stufish, the show had the aim to bring a “whole new audience” to Macau.

Frederic Winckler, executive vice president, chief marketing and brand officer of Melco Resorts and Entertainment had pledged to “enhance our already-rich portfolio of unique attractions following the tremendous success of The House of Dancing Water.”

The show has a cast of over 150 people paired with 70 specially transformed electric-powered vehicles.

Other highlights of the show include setting a Porsche on fire and driving it around the arena while motorcycle riders and buggy drivers drive up and drop in from the top of a projection screen at a height of 12 meters, at a steep 65-degree angle and come screeching to a halt just a couple meters from the audience.

Elēkrŏn is one of Studio City’s entertainment highlights aside from its Legend Heroes Park, Batman Dark Flight, Golden Reel and the Warner Bros. Fun Zone.

However, according to several reviews on travel website, TripAdvisor, not all visitors were satisfied with the show, with some complaining that the sound effects were too loud.

In October 2017, the previous show at Studio City, The House of Magic, also closed down. Analysts stated that the venue was not feasible, and that Melco Resorts & Entertainment was looking at repositioning portions of the property.

According to the gaming operator’s statement, as of the end of April, Melco has extended close to 13,000 invitations to community beneficiaries to enjoy Elēkrŏn as part of its corporate social responsibility program to promote the arts.  LV